Vapaavuori decides to quit politics

Helsinki City Mayor and long-term politician of the opposition Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) Jan Vapaavuori said he would not contest the mayoral race for another term, reported the Finnish language leading daily Helsingin Sanomat on Sunday.

Talking to the newspaper, he said he would not contest the upcoming municipality polls scheduled for April next year.

The 55-year-old political veteran said he already spent two-thirds of his career in social and political activities and now looking for something different.

Vapaavuori said he will leave politics and won’t think of any kind of elections.

He hinted at working in the private sector, at an international position or entrepreneurship.

In his political career Vapaavuori, who was a lawmaker from 2003 to 2015, served as a minister of Economic Affairs for three years and as a minister of Housing for four years.

He lost in the race for the chairmanship of Kokoomus party in 2015 and joined the European Investment Bank as a vice-president for a two-year term.

He was elected Helsinki City mayor in 2017 after he received about 30,000 votes, the highest number in the country for any candidate in the municipality election that time.